10 Mar 2014 A&M-Commerce Selected as a Best College for Students with Children

Texas A&M University-Commerce ranks No. 11 on BestColleges.com’s list of “Best Colleges for Students with Children.” The 54 colleges and universities on the list are not-for-profit, four-year institutions that provide on-campus child care services with a specific set of amenities to students while maintaining low tuition and administrative costs.

A&M-Commerce’s listing cites the university’s Children’s Learning Center (CLC), a four-star, accredited program for children ages six weeks to 12 years old. BestColleges.com also notes the availability of family housing at A&M-Commerce, where approximately 40 campus apartments are open to students with children.

“We are so excited to be among the top universities that offer child care! The staff of the CLC is committed to providing quality care while providing an exemplary education,” said Lisa Rhoades, director of the Children’s Learning Center. “Children are our future, and we feel it is our responsibility to provide them with necessary skills for them to carry into the future.”

All of the “Best Colleges for Students with Children” offer evening and weekend courses, a certain number of housing units geared toward student families and a net cost below the national average of $48,000 per year. The selected schools are ranked in order of their annual net price, with Purdue University-North Central Campus coming in at No. 1, with an average net price of $6,080. BestColleges.com lists A&M-Commerce’s average net price at $8,659.

To compile its rankings, BestColleges.com used the schools’ websites and data from the Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

“Earning a college degree takes a tremendous commitment of resources, which can feel like an insurmountable burden for students with children,” said BestColleges.com Outreach Coordinator Laura Daniels. “Finding a school that meets their needs as a parent and student is especially important. We compiled our list to let students with children know their best options for finding support inside and outside the classroom.”